Can anyone recommend me actually decent death metal with really high production quality? Not deathcore though, but I mean, like, snap to the grid, Power Tooled-to-nothing death metal. Something along the lines of Scar Symmetry...

I need it to explain to a friend the difference between deathcore and death metal, and she won't let me play anything with below Scar Symmetry production quality. SS is good, I just need something heavier that isn't so spacey.

Ridiculously layered, a huge wall of sound but extremely professionally done, released on Metal Blade too. Style is basically melodic death metal (as in "death metal that is melodic", not Gothenburg/melodeath), with some flashes of their metalcore/melodeath past. Scar Symmetry is a pretty good comparison for production but the music is obviously much more DM. One of my favorites of the genre, it's a highly recommended album on all levels.

_________________The promised lands of sand are raised and troths build on talesFrom heights I now behold this circus' credo

Morbid Angel's Covenant is produced by Flemming Rasmussen who was the producer for most of Metallica's 80's output. Up to that point (1993) it was probably one of the more professional and cleaner sounding DM recordings.

Look for anything produced by Neil Kernon (Queensryche, Nevermore). He's known for his clean sound. He's produced albums for Nile, Macabre, Cannibal Corpse, Usurper and Exhumed.

Neaera - Really good, I like it. The low growls sound a little cheesy, but I still like it.
Abysmal Dawn - I like it, reminds me a lot of the second Job For A Cowboy album.
Odious Mortem - Wow. Simply wow. This is awesome. Exactly what I was looking for.
Augury - It's really cool and futuristic sounding. I'll probably listen to this one a lot.
Immolation - Sounds awesomely evil. Not exactly what I was going for, but it's cool.

Sorry, I lied, hahaha. I really just wanted these to listen to myself, but I was pretty sure I would get flamed by the elitists. It turns out you guys are actually mostly cool!

Yes, Indeed!! Also 2004 onward for Cannibal Corpse is excellent production. Especially "Evisceration Plague". Also some bands from Gothenburg (Arch Enemy, In Flames, Dark Tranquillity) have some albums with excellent production. Although the musicianship for In Flames is a little off.

Odious Mortem - Wow. Simply wow. This is awesome. Exactly what I was looking for.

Okay, since this is the type of production you're looking for, I'll recommend a couple that may/may not have been mentioned.

Severed Savior - Servile Insurrection (very, very similar to Odious Mortem - shared members)
Hour Of Penance - The Vile Conception
Fleshgod Apocalypse - Oracles
Martyr (Can) - Feeding The Abscess (all albums are good, but this one has the type of production you seem to be after)
No Emotions - My Will
Emeth - Telesis (again, all albums are good, but this one has the best production)
Krisiun - AssassiNation and Southern Storm (in particular the latter)
Martriden - Martriden and The Unsettling Dark (both the EP and full-length have identical production, so listen to both)
Inevitable End - The Severed Inception (music is a little sloppy, but it has nice, loud production)
Quo Vadis - Defiant Imagination
Pavor - Furioso

Yeah, that should be plenty. There's no need to go through all of them, just the ones that capture your attention.

Wanna know a trick? Just look up Par Olofsson. Virtually every band he's done album art for will fit your request. Abysmal Dawn, Deeds of Flesh, Odious Mortem, Severed Savior, most of the bands Mikey mentioned, and most popularly, The Faceless. The lattermost still retains some deathcore qualities though, so you may want to stray from that one.

I've maybe only listened to that one once, but I remember it being rather crystal clear (I recall a bass solo under a tech riff, I can't imagine that working ever, but it may sound like something that a uber clean tech death band would do). The only other album I have is Path of the Weakening, and while it's much better, the production is also much rougher, so that's a no go in this situation..

I've maybe only listened to that one once, but I remember it being rather crystal clear (I recall a bass solo under a tech riff, I can't imagine that working ever, but it may sound like something that a uber clean tech death band would do). The only other album I have is Path of the Weakening, and while it's much better, the production is also much rougher, so that's a no go in this situation..

That's fair enough. I can't really comment on other albums, as I haven't heard any of them.

Well, I didn't just go listen to it because I didn't want to turn off Aspid (your fault Mikey, I've already fallen in love with them), but yeah, it's definitely muddy. It's like if you were listening to a super clean tech death album through a wet rag.

Well, I didn't just go listen to it because I didn't want to turn off Aspid (your fault Mikey, I've already fallen in love with them), but yeah, it's definitely muddy. It's like if you were listening to a super clean tech death album through a wet rag.

Aspid are great! Good to see you enjoying them.

Of What's To Come is very muddy, but I think that, in this case, it does help. Anyway, this is digressing from the topic, so I think we should leave it there.